MAYORAL MINUTES · Attachment 1 to the Ordinary Meeting Minutes dated 19 March 2026 - Noosa Council Submission_SCWA Bill 2026

       3. how the state intends to manage situations where SCWA's priorities conflict with
          Councils endorsed land management plans (e.g., foreshore masterplans, recreation
          zoning).
       4. How the High Water Mark will be defined, and how any conflicts arising at this
          interface will be resolved.
       5. Whether the SCWA may seek tenure changes or approvals under the Land Act 1984
           or other legislation to facilitate infrastructure delivery.
    For a waterway like the Noosa River, where land–water integration is fundamental to
    ecological protection and community character, this ambiguity poses material governance
    risks.


A3. Appropriate recognition of local policies and plans
    Part 3, clause 14 of the Bill requires SCWA to consult with local governments but does not
    require that councils endorse or agree to the Waterways Management Strategy or Program
    before they are submitted for Ministerial approval.
    This creates critical unanswered questions:
       1. What mechanisms exist to ensure local government priorities are not overridden ?
       2. How will competing objectives be reconciled, particularly in environmentally
          sensitive or tightly constrained waterways such as the Noosa River?
       3. Will there be a formal dispute resolution pathway should Councils or community’s
          positions not be aligned with the Authority’s proposals?
    Without clear processes, there remains a significant risk of strategic misalignment between
    SCWA’s regional priorities and Noosa’s place based planning frameworks.


A4. Imprecise definition of “infrastructure for the waterways”
    Part 2, clause 12(b) of the Bill empowers SCWA to “install, manage and maintain
    infrastructure for the Sunshine Coast waterways”, yet does not define the scope or limits of
    such infrastructure.
    It remains unclear:
       1. whether this refers solely to public marine facilities, as defined in the Transport
          Infrastructure (Public Marine Facilities) Regulation 2023;
       2. whether SCWA can propose or implement infrastructure on adjacent land; and
       3. how SCWA’s proposed infrastructure interacts with council managed land,
          environmental overlays, and community expectations.
    Given the sensitivity of Noosa’s foreshore and riverine environments, Council emphasises
    the need for clear statutory boundaries around the types of infrastructure the SCWA is

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